Investigates whether the acute symptoms reported by farmers less
than 24 hours after dipping with organophosphates (OPs) could be
plausibly grouped into distinct symptom categories. Re-analysis of
the symptom data obtained in the Health and Safety Executive's
(HSE's) Contract Research Report 74/1995 was performed in order
to identify any recognisable cluster of core symptoms in exposed
subjects, and to evaluate if exposed and control subjects differed
in their pattern of symptom reporting. The core symptom groups were
also analysed alongside a surrogate of exposure data to assess if
significant increases in reporting of any core symptoms were
dose-related. Concludes tentative support for the view that certain
symptoms can be identified which occur more frequently in those
recently exposed to OPs within certain clusters and that these
symptoms are consistent with flue-like illness, however, further
verification is needed.